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UNITED STATES JOI-IN W. WALTER, 0F HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA.

' TRAFFIC-SIGNALING DEVICE.

Application filed March 19,1927. Serial No. 176,783.

This invention relates to .traffic signaling devices and more particularly to a device of this character which is adapted to be applied to an automobile.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including a swingable semaphore arm and a motor operated means for shifting the arm to any one of a selected signaling positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved means for controlling the operation of the motor and the driving connections of this motor with the arm, so that the various signaling positions can be attained.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of this character which may be readily and cheaply produced, which is simple to operate and which will be a general improvement in the art. y

These and other obj eots I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein :d

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a signal constructed in accordance with my invention, the wiring connections being diagrammatically indicated;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the relative positions of the control levers. Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a suitable base preferably adapted for attachment to the dash board D of a vehicle. This base is provided with a central opening 11 communicating at the front face of the plate with the rear endvof a tube 12 which is adapted to extend through the cowl of the vehicle.

Rotatably mounted in the tubular extension is a shaft 13, the outer end of which has a right angular extension 14, the end of which is formed as a signaling element, generally designated at 15. The signaling element is preferably hollow and provides a housing for .an illuminating element 17, the conducting leads of which are extended through the arm 1 4 and shaft 13 which are likewise hollow.

Upon the rear face of the bese il a bevel gear 18 is secured to the shaft 13 and this gear has secured thereto a trip 19 operating adjacent the rear face of the base. Mounted upon the base at opposite sides of the gear 18 are bearings 20 and 21 in which a shaft 22 is rotatably mounted. Splined upon this shaft at 3 is a sleeve 24, opposite ends of which have secured thereto bevel pinions and 26 which may be either alternately engaged with the gear 18 or simultaneously disengaged. therefrom. At one end, the shaft 22 has secured thereto a worm gear 27 driven i by a worm 28 upon the armature shaft 29 of a motor M.

Rotatably mounted upon the base and extending perpendicularly thereto is aA hollow shaft 30 having secured thereto adjacent its upper end an arm 31 which, intermediate its ends, is provided with a shifting fork 32 engaging in a groove 33L formed in the center of the 'sleeve 24. The lever is secured to the outer end of the shaft 30, the connection of the lever with the shaft being intermediate the ends of the lever, the ends of which are designated at 33 and 34. By depressing the end 33 of the lever, the gear 26 is caused to engage with the gear 18, while a depression of the end 34 of the lever will cause engagement of the gear 25 with the gear 18. Vhen the leveris in its central or neutral position, both the gears 25 and 26 are disengaged from the gear 18. The free end of the arm 31 is inbent toward the base 10, as indicated at 35, and extends into the path of the trip 19 of the gear 18. Carried by and insulated from the arm 31 is a contact 36 which, when the end 34 of the lever is depressed, engages with a contact 37, closing the circuit to the illuminating element 17.

Supported from and rigid with relation to the bearing 20 is an insulating strip 38 bearinga contact 39. Supported from this strip is a second insulating strip 40 which is resilient and bears a contact 41 for coaction with the contact 39 of the strip 38. Mounted upon a bracket B carried by the base adjacent the strip 38 and between this strip and gear 18 and on this bracket a plurality of levers 42, 43 and 44 are pivoted at points spaced circumferentially of the gear. Each of these levers, by manipulation of its operating end, may be brought into engagement with the strip 40 to flex the same and cause engagement of the contacts 89 and 41. Clos ing these contacts closes the circuit to the mot-cr M, causing the same to operate., 'Each lever 42, 43 and 44 has a flange 45 arranged between its pivot and its operating end and extending into the path of a cam face 46 formed upon the outer end of the trip 19 of the gear 18 when the associated lever is in position to cause engagement of the contacts 39 and 41. The trip 19, when the signal arm 14 is in vertical or inoperative position, is positioned againstjthe angular extension 35 of the arm 31 and prevents movement of this arm in a direction permitting engagement of the gear 2G with the gear 18. The bracket B likewise provides a pivotal mounting for a fourth lever 47, which may be lswung to cause engagement of the contacts 39 and 41, this lever having no lug 45 for coaction with the trip 19.

In operation, assuming the signal arm to be in neutral position and that it is desired to signal a right turn, the end 34 of the shifting lever is moved downwardly to bring the gear 25 into engagement with the gear 18. The operating end of the lever 42 is then swung to the right, causing the contacts 3S) and 41A to engage and the circuit of the motor to be completed. Depression of the end 34 of the lever has brought the contacts 36 and 37 into engagement, activating the illuminating elementi17. As the contacts 39 and 41 are closed, the motor is started, causing the gear 18 to rotate in the direction of the arrow of Figure 1. This rotation, after ithasproceeded through a predetermined distance, brings the trip 19 into engagei'nent with the lug 45 of the lever 42, shifting the lever to inoperative position and permitting the contacts of the motor circuit to open. Since the motor drive-employs a worm, the parts will beloeked into position where the motor circuit is broken. holding the signaling arm in an outwardly and upwardly inclining position. To return the signal to inoperative position,th e lever 47 is moved to cause closing of the contacts 39 and 41, after the vend 33 of the shifting lever has been depressed. Depressingthe end of the shifting lever opens the circuit of the illuminating element 17 and engages the gear 26 with the gear 18. The drive of the motor is thus transmitted to cause rotation of the gear in tion. As the arm arrives at inoperative position, the trip 1S) engages against the angular end 35 of the arm 31', shifting this arm sufficiently to disengage the gear 26 from the gear 28 without engaging the gear 25 therewith. The lever 47 may be released at any time after the arm attains its inoperative position. Similar procedures are followed in giving any of the other signals and the opera-tion is identical with that above set forth, except that for the remaining signaling positions, the arm nieves through a greater arc than in the instance above described.

Since the construction hercinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

1. In combination, a rotatable shaft bearinga signal arm, a motor, a second shaft (ilriving connections between the motor and the second shaft whereby said shaft is locked against rotation when the motor ceases operation, reversing gearing for connecting the first and second shafts having a neutral position, a manually operable control arm for said reversing gearing, a circuit for the motor including a manually elosable switch and a single means operated by rotation of the first named shaft in one direction to open the motor switch and in the opposite direction to shift said arm to place said reversing gearing in neutral position.`

2. In combination, a rotatable shaft bearing a signal arm, a motor, driving connections between the motor and the shaft locking the shaft against rotation when the motor is inoperative, said driving connections including reversing mechanism having a neutral position, a circuit for the motor including a manually closable switch and a single means operated by rotation of the first named shaftl in one direction to open the motor switch and by rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction to place the reversing mechanism in neutral position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN w. WALTER.

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